March 25th
by Katie-ng-fan
Summary: The anniversary of Mars Landng gets Nick and Jess thinking, but how much has happened in a year? "Nick sat dumbfounded in his car as it all hit him at once. The fact that not only had he let Jessica damn Day slip away without a fight, but that he may actually be able to get her back. Is that crazy? Of course it is. Maybe it is..."
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! So it's been like over a year since Mars Landing and I thought I should write something to mark that. I actually started writing this on March 25th so it's set then (just after Walk Of Shame).**

 **I'm still updating Voice of An Angel as inspiration hits, though it's been sparse lately. As for The Match That Lit the Fire, I think I'm going to stop it right there because I said it would just be a sort of prologue, and I can't be bothered writing about all that depressingness.**

 **I need you to know as you read this, that I'm not trying to put the break-up on Nick or anything like that, but this is how I imagine he sees it due to his lack of self-esteem.**

Schmidt stared at Jess then back at Nick as they ate their breakfast in tense silence. It was Saturday, and though it was expected of Nick to sleep in until lunch, Jess had always considered sleeping until nine to be a wasted morning, but this morning she stumbled out of her room around eleven thirty. Schmidt was in his usual chipper weekend mood, but both of them seemed at their very worst. He watched as Nick put away the milk and Jess immediately took it back out of the fridge instead of asking him to leave it out, before grabbing her own spoon and shutting the draw in front of Nick. It wasn't that either of them did anything particularly aggressive or mean, but their normal morning flow was gone and they just looked... not mad... hurt?

"Okay seriously you guys – what's up?" He eventually broke the silence.

"Nothing, Schmidt." Nick replied sharply with a glare. Jess just snickered as she continued the staring contest with her cereal. "If you've got something to say Jess..." he trailed off before sighing and marching out the door, grabbing his keys and leaving his half-eaten cereal.

"Nothing?" Schmidt questioned.

"Drop it Schmidt."

Once the elevator doors closed, Nick slammed his hand on the elevator door in frustration. March 25th. It had been a year. He knew that today was going to be difficult for him, but he hadn't known if Jess would have noticed, and he wasn't sure whether it would have been easier if she did or didn't, but he could tell right away from the way her sad eyes wouldn't make contact with his that it hurt her just as much. As he walked towards his car not sure where he was going, he considered all that had happened since that morning when he had woken up with her in his room but not in his arms. He had dated, she had 'loved', they had been good at retaining their friendship, but it wasn't the way it had been before.

Over all, he really wished they had never broken up. It's not like he could have done anything else though. Could he? What did he do? He told her he loved her, and he had tried to kiss her during a temporary lapse on the cruise, but really, he never fought for her. For them. How could he not have fought for her? And how was he only just realizing this now? _Is_ _it too late? Wait, what? No! Stupid thought_ _s_ _– of course it_ _i_ _s_. It had been a year, she'd moved on. She'd been in a serious relationship since then – a serious relationship that ended... after _he_ had talked to her. Nick sat dumbfounded in his car as it all hit him at once. The fact that not only had he let Jessica damn Day slip away without a fight, but that he may actually be able to get her back. _Is that crazy_? _Of course it_ _i_ _s_. _Maybe it_ _i_ _s..._

Jess slinked off to take a shower feeling moody and sort of mad but at nobody in particular. Well... maybe a little mad a Nick. Today was hard on both of them, why was he making things so tense and awkward? He wouldn't make eye contact and he had gone from grumpy in a sweet way, to just plain grumpy.

She couldn't really be mad at him though. After all, it was her that had continued to push him when he wasn't ready, and it was her who had told him that his love wasn't enough. They didn't want the same things. Ryan had known since he was a teenager that he wanted two kids, and to live in a cozy family home near good schools in the suburbs. He'd known what he wanted, and what he wanted was what she wanted, but that hadn't been enough either apparently. Jess let out a sigh as she realized that she'd deemed neither love nor stability as good enough for her and wasn't entirely sure what was. She didn't really miss Ryan though. If anything she felt guilty – guilty that a relationship that had lasted months felt like a rebound. She considered what her life would be like by now had her and Nick never broken up and let the hot water burn her skin as she closed her eyes and could almost feel the ring that wasn't on her finger, the kicking that wasn't in her stomach, and the arms that hadn't wrapped around her waist in a year. Why couldn't she have just given Jacob the toy in the damn box?

Nick drove as fast as he could get away with, until eventually he realized he didn't have his wallet with him, and if he went any further, he might not have the gas to get home. He pulled over near a beach front and quickly wished he hadn't. The night they'd thought he had cancer was the first night he fell asleep next to Jess, the freezing cold waves crashing in front of them. He'd spent his first few days with Jess in Mexico at the beach, forgetting the world and everything in it but each other and the sand. Now here was a million grains of it, a million little reminders of what he'd let go of and it hurt. He needed that though. He needed to remember. He'd made the decision to win her back, and now he needed to figure out how. He couldn't just spring it on her. He knew Jess, and he knew that if she ddin't have time to decide what she wanted, she would choke and act rationally when confronted and his whole plan would turn to crap. For now he just had to keep letting her know that he hadn't given up on them.

 **I just realized the 25th was a Wednesday – just roll with it. Thanks for reading! Reviews and criticism are appreciated! :)**


	2. 2 Maybe I Am

**Disclaimer: I'm unaffiliated with Fox, New Girl, Iphone, Samsung, and whatever else I mention in this.**

The past week had been a little more tense between Nick and Jess but between their schedules, they had barely seen each other and unintentionally avoided each other for the most part. They weren't exactly mad at each other – there was just a lot of love and heartbreak at the forefront of their minds due to the recent 'anniversary' and it was difficult to be so close all the time, but tonight Jess was going out to Clyde's with the guys and she made the conscious decision not to let things get awkward because she really did miss him.

Nick placed three beers in front of the guys without needing to ask them before turning to Jess. "Red wine?"

"Please" She tried to think of a conversation starter but he beat her to it.

"So how was work?" He smiled as he placed her drink down in front of her.

"Work was good. Oh! I have a new student in my class" she smirked before adding; "Her name is Rainbow and she has a sister in the grade below called Moonbeam." Nick shook his head with a laugh before he swallowing hard, keeping the smile on his face.

"Are you saying you wouldn't let me name our kid Rainbow?" he laughed. Jess' eyes continued to shine but she narrowed them and tilted her head slightly in question and surprise.

"Are you saying you would want to call our kid Rainbow?" she smiled over the rim of her glass. He wasn't sure if she was asking him about the name or the elephant in the conversation.

"Or hey, I know! How about Strawberry?!" he suggested with a chuckle. "Reginald isn't sounding so bad now is it?"

Nick watched her closely as she threw back her head and laughed. Their friendship had never dissolved entirely but it was much more strained and these moments between them were so much fewer. He'd forgotten how much he loved this, how much he loved- he swallowed hard. If he was going to do this, he was going to have to be all in; how much he loved _her_.

"Actually Nick, that doesn't sound so bad. _Oh look how much little Strawberry has grown!_ It's got a nice ring to it."

"Jessica Day you are not naming our baby Strawberry!" he laughed, meeting her gaze and instantly changing the mood.

"Our baby..." she repeated quietly, staring into her wine. Their laughter had faded and the atmosphere thickened.

Nick opened his mouth to reply when they heard a loud _smash_ from beside them.

"Winston that's like the third one this year man." Schmidt laughed.

"Shrimp forks" Coach laughed. Winston was already beginning to pick up the larger pieces of his bottle from the floor. Nick broke his gaze from Jess to grab a dustpan and brush to clean up the mess.

Jess flopped down onto her bed with her hands pressed against her eyes. She wasn't sure if it was excitement or nervousness creating the whirling in her stomach, but mostly she was just confused. Was that just a slip of the tongue left over from when they were dating? No, he said it several times and with that purposeful smirk. Was he just being snidey about the fact that she had ended it a year ago over the very issue of their future and kids? No, he wouldn't try to hurt her. Maybe he just dug himself into a hole he couldn't get out of. But he directed the conversation that way – he was doing this intentionally! She wasn't exactly smiling because she was mostly just bewildered but Jess couldn't help but wonder if maybe when Nick pictured his future, he saw her as a part of it... and their child apparently. She buried her face in her pillow and screamed lightly, wondering if she would ever have any idea what was going on between her and Nick.

The clock finally signaled the end of Nick's shift and he welcomed the cool breeze as he walked home. His plan was in motion and it seemed to be going well. She hadn't flipped out or started panic-babbling. She seemed to play along. That wasn't the important part though. The important part was whether or not she was still thinking about him and realizing he was far from finished with her. Only time would tell but he had nothing left to lose. He realized now that before, he was so hooked on trying to salvage their friendship, but now that amazing close friendship was more of a memory than a reality and if there was any chance of him keeping her in his life for the long-haul, it was worth the risk.

It couldn't be like last time though. If he was going to get her back, if he was going to keep her, he would have to do everything in his power to get it right.

The next morning, Nick groaned at the sound of his alarm going off – especially when he glanced at his clock and saw that it wasn't even seven o'clock yet. He remembered why he had decided to put himself through this torture and swung his legs out of bed. He stumbled to the kitchen and did something he hadn't done for a year – he made a cup of Earl Grey tea. He'd done it at least once or twice a week for nearly ten months and had resented the box in the cupboard ever since.

He picked up the mug (the one with the cats – the only one she drank out of in the mornings) and hesitated. Part of his little ritual was to place it on Jess' bedside table for her to find when she woke, sometimes with a cheesy little note, then return to their bed and fall back asleep until she kissed his forehead on her way out. She would then tiptoe out of the room, not realizing that those kisses woke him up every single time, but Nick was happy not to let her know that. He realized that entering her room would be inappropriate and settled for the kitchen counter. He started to leave but was suddenly worried she wouldn't know it was for her. When he noticed the kittens with the pink and purple bows on her mug, sitting in front of her stool, he decided that a note would be too much and left it as it was.

Jess woke up with a spring in her step. It wasn't that she was all that much of a morning person, but her debating with herself over Nick had put her to sleep quickly and she felt refreshed, though no less confused. Her naturally upturned lips quickly faltered when she reached the kitchen though. Jess had three rules; don't touch her yarn, don't let any spoilers about the Walking Dead slip (no matter how long she went without watching it), and don't use her morning mug. Ughhh! They hadn't even had the decency to wash it! When she reached it however, she saw that it was actually full and she could smell that it was tea. Schmidt was gone already and the other boys didn't drink tea, yet here was the drink she was about to make herself, still warm, in her favorite mug, by her usual stool. Just like Nick used to make for her. She turned to the hallway and saw four closed doors. With a small "Hmph" Jess sat down and drank her tea, the curve of the mug, not as wide as her smile.

Later, after dinner, Jess and Winston made their way down to the bar. Winston was meeting some girl for drinks and quickly disappeared to a booth. It was Friday night and the bar was packed, but Jess managed to slide herself onto a stool just as someone else left. Nick beamed when he saw her, but as even more people approached the bar, he couldn't stop working, though he did slide her a glass of wine and a plate full of nachos as soon as he had a chance. He was serving a group of rowdy guys when two loudly arrogant women who had been sitting at a booth approached Jess at her stool.

"So are you gonna hog the bar all night or..." Jess almost laughed when she met eyes with the tall girl by her side. She didn't understand women like these two – women who would start drama over something as trivial as a barstool. Who really cared? Had the woman politely asked if they could sit at the bar, she probably would have just up and walked over to a table.

"Um, yeah, I'm not really done here so..." Jess shyly pointed at her nachos and took a sip of her wine. Nick looked up sharply when he heard that it was Jess the annoying frequents were talking to.

Jess met his eyes for just a moment and with that boost of confidence, took a large bite of a cheese-covered chip and gave the women a closed-mouth smile.

The second woman looked up at Nick and nodded her head a little with narrowed eyes and a smirk.

"Oh, I get it. Doe eyes isn't finished chatting up the bar tender." The first woman let out a laugh and turned to walk away, adding over her shoulder;

"Give it up sweetie – he's not interested." Jess hated arguments like that because no matter what she said, the women would continue to believe that they were right and had won. She decided she didn't care and was about to shake it off when she heard his voice, loud and confident to be heard over the din of his waiting customers, "Maybe I am." He glanced at the bar. "No tip? Not like Wendy the waitress had to put up with you guys all night or anything." He muttered as he shook his head, wiping the bar down as he looked straight up into Jess' eyes, barely noticing as the two women glared at him and silently agreed to go somewhere else with a bit of a shocked snicker.

" _Maybe I am."_ The words rang in Jess' ears as she stared up at Nick. Maybe he was what? Interested? Due to his position bent down wiping the bar, his face was level with hers a few feet away and he hadn't broken his gaze in several seconds.

"Nick..." With her vulnerably quiet voice, Nick's confidence was gone and he looked away, relieved to hear a group of tipsy college students requesting shots from the other side of the bar.

"Look Jess, I gotta..." He grabbed a bottle of tequila from behind him and turned with his head down to serve the excited girls.

 _Maybe I am._ Jess had to talk to him, she had to know what he was thinking and if his statement had been true or just a way of showing the rude women up, but she could feel her eyes moistening already and she hated the idea of letting Nick know how much he affected her. She would talk to him in a stronger frame of mind. She picked up her purse and nearly ran out the door.

"Jess!" Winston caught up with her at the door dangling his keys near her face. "I was your ride remember. What's up Jess?" he laughed with a concerned look in his eyes.

"Nothing, I'm fine. I'll just call a cab, or walk actually, have a good night Winston." She waved past him to his date and headed outside.

Nick sighed deeply as the bar began to empty. He did _not_ mean for that to happen. Things had been getting too intense to quickly with Jess and his plan tonight was just to talk and laugh and have one of those amazing evenings like they used to tonight, lightening things between them but still getting her to think about _them_. Well that plan had failed. He knew Jess well enough to know that the woman's comment about his feelings would have played over in her head enough times until she believed them had he not told them otherwise, and he had to let her know that that wasn't the case. Yes, he had enjoyed making the impolite woman-child squirm but he had said it to Jess more than he had the other two women. Without another thought he'd made sure to let her know in a desperate attempt not to lose what he had been building, and now he was afraid he had done just the opposite.

He knew if he tried to pass it off as pay-back for the ignorant comment, he would get away with it, but that would mean telling Jess flat out that he wasn't interested and possibly relieving any chance he had left. He felt like he couldn't win no matter what he said now. He didn't want to have the conversation at all but he knew he needed to - if Jess was even home that is. He thought of the loft and all the chaos that went with it and decided that wasn't the best place to have a conversation.

When he took out his phone to text her, he was met with a picture of Jess on his back giving him an exaggerated kiss on the cheek as he smiled on. His phone had fallen from his breast pocket into the sink full of water that morning and wouldn't turn on. Schmidt had quickly pulled a little black square from the back of it, and Nick's old phone from their 'junk drawer' and explained that he could put his Sim card into the back of an old phone and keep his number and most of his contacts even if the phone was totaled. Nick didn't understand entirely, and was further confused when his roommate proceeded to put his wet phone into a bag of uncooked rice in the cupboard, but accepted the old phone with a "thanks" an let it charge for ten minutes or so before shoving it in his pocket and leaving for work. He realized now, looking at his lock screen picture, that he hadn't used this phone in a little over a year. Almost exactly a year actually.

He slid the screen up and was met with yet another reminder. There staring back at him from the little screen, was a sleeping Jess, exhausted and fully clothed on her bed, papers shifted to one side. She had passed out trying so hard to let everyone at Coolidge keep their jobs, despite how incompetent Nick thought they sounded. What must that have been? A week before they played True American? Jess hated it when he took pictures of her without her knowing, but he knew she would object to her perfect sleeping face, telling him there was something wrong with it, so he didn't care. He loved the photo and spent twenty minutes figuring out how to change his wallpaper to it.

Once he remembered how to use the Galaxy, he found Jess' number and was rather impressed that his old phone now had current numbers in it.

" _Hey, can we talk somewhere?"_

He knew it had only been about two minutes but the silence worried him until eventually his phone whistled at him, and yet another perfect picture of Jess flashed on the screen.

" _Beach?"_

Nick smiled. They lived in LA – there were miles of beaches just a short drive away in several directions, but nothing else needed to be said for them to both understand where to meet.

" _Beach. See you in forty?"_

" _K"_ This was followed by some sort of alien face he couldn't quite decipher and he smiled as he remembered Jess begging him to upgrade to an Iphone for no reason other than to use the same emojis as she did.

 **A/N; Hey guys! I tried to find a new 'Nick stands up for Jess at the bar' angle because I know that's been done like a bazillion times so I hope this worked!**

 **Just in case you didn't catch any references; sleeping Jess was from the end of _Fired Up,_ the beach they both instantly recognize as their meeting place is where they fell asleep in _Injured_ and the little alien face was an Android emoji. **

**Ps. I wasn't trying to insinuate Apple or Samsung was better or anything, I'll stay out of that war and take what I can get just as long as it isn't a Windows phone. ;)**

 **Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated and criticism are very welcome!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much for your views & reviews! You guys made my day! **

**So today I learned that the correct spelling is in fact _Jess's_ not _Jess',_ my apologies for my previous misspellings. I'm not sure how I made it to eleventh grade without ever having learned that. **

**Ps. The finale was amazeballs – can't wait to read all the stories it's gonna inspire!**

It was nearly eleven when Nick arrived at the beach. He was a little early but Jess stood leaning against a fence watching the ocean. Her hair blew back slightly in the wind and the moonlight made her glow. _Seriously?_ Nick shook his head with a laugh. _She's actually glowing in the moonlight? This isn't fair._

Jess heard the engine stop and turned and gave him a smile as he approached her. "You wanna walk a bit?"He nodded and she slipped her right hand into his left as though it were the most normal thing in the world as they set off down the beach. She wasn't sure what on earth had possessed her to do such a thing. For a year they had been careful not to even brush against each other in the kitchen or bathroom and now they were holding hands? She could tell he felt as awkward as she did about this out-of-the-blue intimacy but he made no move to let go. In fact, Nick held her hand tighter, squeezing her fingers with his as they went on. Their situation made it uncomfortable, but the way her fingers fit between his was still the most natural feeling to both of them.

Jess didn't let go as she bent down to pick up a shell and absentmindedly dusted it off with her left hand. "So... you wanted to talk?" She tried to sound casual but couldn't stand wondering what was going on inside his head any longer.

"Yeah, I just, um..." Nick actually had no idea what he wanted to say. He didn't really think about it when he asked her to meet him somewhere, he just needed to see her. "Sorry Jess, I shouldn't have made you come all the way out here. It's nothing." He didn't look at her but felt her stop and turn towards him. She tugged at his hand and he gave in and turned to face her. Their hands were still joined and she dropped her shell so she could take his other one.

"You didn't _make_ me do anything Miller. I wanted to meet you here."

"Why?" Jess had been playful but Nick kept a serious tone.

"Well, who else would I beat in a race to the ocean at midnight?" By the time Nick had registered her words, Jess had dropped his hands and was running towards the waves, hopping as she slipped one of her shoes off.

Nick took off his shoes and sprinted to catch up with her but she was too far gone. She stood triumphantly as the tide curled around her ankles, a pink slip-on shoe in each hand. As he jogged to where she was she threw her hands above her head victoriously and apparently a little to vigorously as one of her shoes went flying out of her grasp behind her. As the tide pulled back, the shoe went with it and as Jess looked down at her jeans rolled up to her knees, she decided chasing after it would be a little too disastrous. Nick held a hand up to his shocked moth, trying to contain a smile.

He watched Jess watching the shoe, looking for any sign of her reaction. Her lips turned upwards and she cracked up laughing, quickly followed by Nick.

"You're not gonna miss the shoe?" he laughed.

"Nah. They were only like ten bucks." She twisted her lips to the side and furrowed her brow "They were great shoes though. I actually liked them. Oh well, too late now right?" Her laughter had faded to disappointment.

"They'll move with the waves Jess. The tide's retreating and I doubt it'll take your shoe with it. Let's just wait for it to wash up." Jess threw her other shoe as far towards the sand as she could then ran out of the ocean

"I won one race already, are you really gonna let me win another one?!" She passed Nick and ran towards the lonely shoe. This time he was quicker and scooped her up from behind to stop her reaching the finish line first. She kicked her arms and legs causing nick to stumble in the sand and they both rolled on to their backs laughing as their hands found each other's again.

Through her laughter, Jess turned and manged to get out "I still won!" Nick turned with feigned shock.

"You did not! You practically landed on me! That means I hit the ground first Jessica!" Jess reached her hand up and grabbed the shoe.

"Actually, you never reached the finish line!" She dangled it out of his reach to her side. He reached up and grabbed it, tossing it to the sand again. He was now a lot closer to her, half hovering over her as he supported himself with one hand, her dainty fingers linked in his other. He searched her eyes in the dark and he was tempted to wrap his arms around her and kiss her, almost forgetting for a moment that he couldn't do that anymore. How many times had he playfully tackled her to the sand in Mexico? Things were so different now but sometimes they would get this glimpse of what it used to be like and it was as though no time had passed at all. Their laughter had died down now. The corners of Jess's mouth were still upturned but the atmosphere had changed.

"I've missed this Jess." Nick swallowed hard. Jess's facial expression didn't change as she watched his face intently but she eventually averted her gaze and sat up next to him.

"Me too." Her voice was so quiet it could barely be heard over the crashing waves. "god, can you believe it's been a year?"

"I know." He wanted to add that it had been an awful year, that a year without holding her was almost worst than any other year in his life.

"What were we doing in March 2014? It seems like forever ago." She stared off into the black Pacific. Nick swallowed the lump in his throat and let out a sad laugh.

"We were planning to go to the beach. Do you remember?" He turned to meet her eyes and she smiled.

"You told me we could go to the beach whenever we damn-well felt like it but I insisted it had to be April because people don't go to the beach in the winter."

"We live in California!" he laughed lightly, hoping Jess couldn't see the glaze of water in his eyes reflecting as clearly as he could see it in hers.

"We should have gone in March." Her voice hitched at the last word and her shoulders began to shake.

Nick pulled her into his arms and tried his best to choke back his own tears. Was it possible that she was crying over him? After all this time, even after Ryan? He nuzzled his head in her hair and placed a kiss to her curls. Jess sniffed and wiped her eyes before Nick had the chance to.

"I'm sorry" She let out an embarrassed laugh. "This is so silly, I just... I wish I'd made the most of last year you know?"

"Hey, we're here now. _I'm_ here now." Nick reluctantly let go but kept a hand on her back as she pulled her knees up in front of her.

"It's not the same." He didn't think she even meant him to hear it, she spoke so quietly.

"Well... we're sitting here talking at midnight, we did something dumb like race to the ocean in the dark and you lost your shoe, we argued about something stupid, and you cried which is simultaneously great and terrible for me because I hate that your sad but you're so beautiful when you cry. Sounds like a pretty Nick and Jess night to me, don't you think?" Jess laughed and sniffed again. Nick swiped his thumb under her eyes to clear away her tears. They looked straight into each other's eyes for a moment then both turned back towards the sea. Their hands were sweaty and it wasn't too comfortable resting on one arm, but neither of them let go.

"Nick?"

"Mmm?"

"I don't think my shoe's coming back. Even if it does, it's not going to dry out any time soon. You're not supposed to drive without shoes on" Nick silently removed his hoodie and wrapped it around her shoulders before laying back, resting his head on his hands and turning his gaze to the few stars that were out.

"Well I mean, I can drive you back obviously and we could get your car in the morning, but Jess, it wouldn't be the first time we've fallen asleep on the beach." Jess was silent as she remembered the many times she and Nick had fallen asleep in the sand, once almost right where they were sitting now. She wordlessly lay down, resting her head on his chest and stared at the stars with him.

Nick planted another kiss on Jess's forehead "G'night Jessica" He felt her smile against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her and took her hand in his.

"Night Miller." She pressed her lips to his knuckles for a second and closed her eyes.


	4. 4 Cheesecake, Pancakes, and a Milkshake

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews guys! I'm excited to continue with this!**

 **I looked into the Jess'/Jess's issue more and apparently it's sort of a grey/gray issue. Do as you please. I'm gonna stick with Jess' :)**

Jess squinted in the bright California sun and lifted Nick's arm to check his watch. It was almost seven. Taking advantage of the deep sleep Nick somehow stayed in despite the bright light, Jess wrapped her arms, one of which was stuck under his sleeping form anyway, around his waist and cuddled closer, blocking out the light by turning her head into his neck. A minute later, she could feel him playing with her hair but neither of them felt the need to open their eyes. They lay there in blissful silence for several minutes longer until eventually Jess' stomach made an unusual noise. She placed a hand on her stomach and turned to face a smiling nick. He glanced at her belly and they both laughed.

"I guess that means you want breakfast?" Their faces were close and neither of them made any move towards or away from each other. Jess lay with her cheek resting on the flattened backs of her palms on the sand while Nick propped himself up on his elbow.

"The stomach wants what it wants." She added with a groan; "It's Saturday. If we go back now we'll have to field a bunch of questions from the guys." Nick stood and offered a hand to help her up. "Come on, I know a place." Jess opened her mouth to reply when her gaze drifted past him and her eyes lit up.

"My shoe!" She ran to where the sand was dark with wetness and picked up a pink pump.

They were the kind of shoes that rain would roll off of rather than soak through, so it looked clean and shiny still, but when she tipped it upside down, a sand/salt-water pulp began to pour out. "You weren't planning on us going anywhere fancy were you? Because if we're looking at a 'no shirt, no service' kind of deal, I don't think I can oblige." Nick laughed as Jess bent down and washed her shoe in the low tide, at least washing some of the sand out. He was holding her other shoe in his left hand, and his under his arm, and held out the right for her to take hold of, because apparently that was just what they did now.

They walked hand in hand across the sand towards their cars. Nick rolled his head on his shoulders and stretched his balled hands above his head. "We weren't sleeping for that long but I actually feel great. Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah, I don't think I've slept so well in a year... I mean... not because- I just meant with the sand and everything." He squeezed her hand reassuringly and opened the passenger door of his car for her with a smile.

"Well holy crap, you weren't lying!" Jess shoveled another fork full of cream and syrup-covered pancake into her mouth. They sat in a booth by a large window. It was a quaint, well-lit diner called 'Cindy's'. The waitresses wore typical diner waitress apparel, there were red stools by the counter, and a duke box in the corner. It felt like a 70s diner from the movies.

"What'd I say? Best pancakes on the west coast! Oh, and you have to try their cheesecake! I'll order some"

"Nick! It's 7:30 in the morning!" Jess laughed. "Wait, how often do you come here?" Nick met her gaze and was distracted for a few seconds before he could even process her words. Her eyes were that rare light blue, her face was mostly bare, and just when he thought he was safe from the effects of the moonlight glow, it was replaced with the golden beams of the early-morning sun.

"This, Jessica, is where I do all my writing." She stared at him with wonder in her eyes.

"What? I write."

"I know you write. You never talk to me about it though. I like seeing that part of you." She smiled, hoping she hadn't ruined the mood. Nick smiled back and mopped up the rest of his syrup with his finger.

The waitress must have noticed this. "Oh, here, do you need more napkins Nick?" Nick reached to take one from her outstretched hand and it stuck to his fingers without him needing to grasp it while Jess tried to contain her laughter and also surprise that the people here knew him by name. "Can I get y'all anything else?" Nick beamed at Jess.

"Yes! We'll share a slice of that awesome strawberry cheesecake please... and a chocolate milkshake!" He smirked across the table. The waitress raised her eyebrows but took the order without question.

"Nick! I am not drinking a chocolate milkshake for breakf- oh, hey, two straws please." She called after the waitress as she noticed she was walking away.

"What was that about milkshakes for breakfast Jess?" He gave her a cocky grin.

"Okay fine, but the cheesecake is all yours; I'm already full from the pancakes!"

Her giggles turned more serious but she kept a little smile on her lips and held his gaze. He smiled back. "This is fun, Nick. We should do this more often." The waitress returned almost as soon as she had left with the cheesecake and two little forks.

"Milkshake will be right out." She smiled at the couple and returned to the kitchen. Nick took a large bite of cheesecake and groaned in delight.

"How about every morning! This is amazing, Jess, you have to try some!" She shook her head. The cheesecake did look good but she was used to a small bowl of cereal or low-fat yogurt this early in the morning and felt like she'd just eaten thanksgiving dinner.

Nick took another bite and Jess bit back a laugh as she stopped herself from letting it slip that his 'cheesecake face' was no different from his 'bedroom face'. "You're not getting out of this Jess! It's too good!" Jess made the mistake of opening her mouth to reply and with that, he leaned across the table and shoved the fork between her lips. She clamped down and he pulled the fork back out, leaving a shocked Jess with a mouth full of cheesecake. Her eyes lit up as she swallowed.

"Woah."

"I know."

"Nick, hands down, that is the best thing I have ever tasted in my life. How could you have kept this place to yourself?!" He shrugged.

"I dunno Jess. This is like my place. I don't bring anyone here."

"You brought _me_ here."

"You're special." He had said it so casually, not even looking up from their cake, but quickly felt her staring at him and realized quite what he had just told her. He swallowed and allowed his eyes to meet her wide ones. She offered a little smile that reminded him so much of the one that followed his yelling "Not like this!" and it threw him a little.

The atmosphere had changed and the air had thickened, but the waitress chose that moment to come over with the milkshake, breaking their staring match.

"Yes Nick, I added way more whipped cream than we're told too. If I added any more, it would be all over the table so don't start!" She smiled as she placed the shake between them, a straw facing either direction. "Oh and I added an extra cherry." she added with a wink. She was a beautiful girl, not just beautiful like Cece's model friends but in a real 'girl-next-door' kind of way, but there was something innocent in her eyes that sparkled as brightly as the engagement ring on her finger and Jess didn't see her as any kind of a threat. She did however, mentally tell herself off for even sizing her up. She didn't have the right to do that anymore; she couldn't get jealous even if another girl _did_ hold his attention. Nick wasn't hers.

Nick leaned forward and sucked some of the thick shake up through his straw. Feeling bold, Jess grabbed her straw and joined him, causing their faces to be only about half a foot apart. They looked straight at each other and it made Jess go cross eyed. She pulled a funny face and Nick had to pull away from his straw to laugh.

"Should've ordered spaghetti." he muttered to himself, not meaning to say it out loud. She had also pulled back from their drink and tilted her head in question. He took the opportunity to escape her eyes by returning to the shake.

"What?" there was that half smile again! The one she seemed to reserve for all the times he accidentally said too much.

"Nothing, I just- aaah brain-freeze!"

 **A/N: Pretty sure I know where I'm going with this. Sorry not much happened in this chapter, just building.**

 **Hey, for some reason I really feel like reading a devastatingly heartbreaking fic, post-Mars Landing about the break-up. Any suggestions?**

 **Comments, criticisms, whatever you got, I wanna hear it roomfriends! :)**


	5. Roommate Trap!

**Hey guys! Sorry it's taken me a while to update. I've been writing for HelloGiggles (YAY!) and also, tbh, I ran out of ideas for this for a while.**

 **It's been a difficult few weeks for me but your reviews always put a smile on my face so thank you so much for that guys!**

 **I was just looking back at the last chapter, and I guess ffn doesn't like my format because there were all sort of weird spacing issues, so sorry about that.**

 **Dunno how well I can capture his character, but I'm gonna need Schmidt's help for this one. Remember this is pre Schmece proposal :)**

Twelve years – Schmidt had been Nick's best friend for twelve years, and he still couldn't figure out what was going on with him. On Saturday night, they all hung out at the bar as per usual, but it was different. Nick seemed uncharacteristically happy, doing tricks with the wine bottles, and joking with the usually turtle-face-inducing customers. And of course there were the stolen glances towards their rosé-drinking roommate, sometimes turning to lingering eye contact, sometimes ending with one of them looking down at their shoes like a preteen. Schmidt had seen this before – he'd watched t for months bed\fore Cece's wedding actually, but it used to be full of hope and excitement. Now it hurt to watch, knowing that they were probably just having a weak night and really missing each other.

On Sunday, Schmidt had spin class, then of course he needed to detox in the sauna, and just in case everyone else's toxins ended up on his skin instead, he followed that with a shower, but he knew from texts from Cece (which he seemed to be getting a lot of lately), that she and Jess spent the whole day shopping. When he got back to the loft, Cece was sleeping in the chair in the corner, looking angelic as always. Schmidt felt a pang of longing to pick her up and tuck her into bed but decided that wouldn't be appropriate for them and covered her over with a blanket with a light kiss on the forehead instead. In the corner of the couch lay Nick, his feet pointed towards the TV, which was now back to the Netflix menu page of some Jack Black movie. Perpendicular to him, with her cheek against his chest, and a mass of hair up to his face, was Jess. It was clear that they were both fast asleep but that didn't stop her little arms from tightening around his waist, his fingers from playing with her curls, or his nose from pressing into her hair. His heart broke watching them. He had been against their relationship before but this was so painful to watch, to see their subconscious minds and bodies so sure of what they were so hesitant of when they had the presence of mind to think for too long.

By the time Schmidt got up the next morning, Jess was on her way out the door with some sort of paper mache creation under her arm and Nick was eating cereal with a very normal expression on his face. Damn it. He'd hoped, though he knew it was unlikely, that something might have changed last night. Why couldn't these idiots just work it out? He supposed the same could be said of him and Cece but quickly pushed the thought away on account of his beautiful girlfriend's face appearing in his mind. See, Nick and Jess didn't even have anyone standing in their way but themselves now that Kai and Ryan were out of the picture! Admittedly, Schmidt actually got on really well with Ryan. He loved his loftmates but none of them shared the same interests as him. With Ryan, he could discuss politics, and work outs (with less intensity than Coach), and he never made fun of him for very much, but any fool could see that he and Jess were no Nick and Jess. _Jick? No, that sounds dirty -_ _Ness._ _Yes! Project Ness! (Nichossica?) Never mind!_ _T_ _ime for Schmidtty to intervene._

The week went by rather uneventfully – that is, until Friday night. Winston was on a date, Coach hadn't been to the loft in a couple of days and it was just assumed that he was with Mae, and the other two boys were insisting that Jess pick up the pizza.

"You guyyysss! Why couldn't we just have just had pizza delivered?" Schmidt and Nick looked as though they were personally offendedby the suggestion.

"Because, Jessica," Schmidt practically spat, "then we would have to go to some chain restaurant and we all know that nowhere can compete with our regular pizza place whose only flaw is their lack of a delivery service!"

"So why should I have to go get it?! I'm expected to prepare dinner even when we've ordered pizza!"

"Because the game is on Jess! Be honest – would you actually care if you came back and found that one of the teams' points had gone up?" Jess let out a sigh that told Nick he was right.

"Well, to be honest, I don't even know who's playing. Fine, I'll go, but I get a deduction from my part of the bill for my labor!"

"Course you do honey!" Nick replied absent mindedly, keeping his gaze to the TV and soon after yelling something at the ref.

As soon as the door closed, Schmidt slyly took some expired coupons from his pocket and held them up. "Oh crap!" Nick looked up at him with a frown. "Jess forgot the coupons for the free cheesy bread. Cheesy bread Nick!" Nick's expression showed that he understood the gravity of the issue. "Quick catch her before the elevator!" Nick grabbed the paper and ran out.

"Hey Jess you forgot the-" Nick felt a jolt to his back as Schmidt just about threw him in the elevator followed by a briefcase.

"Now Remy! Now!"

"Schmidt, what the h-" the doors closed, the elevator jolted downwards and then stopped before they could even reach the next floor.

"What did you do Schmidt?!" Jess shrieked at the ceiling. There was no way he didn't hear her but there was no reply. Nick picked up the brief case and peeled off the post-it note stuck to the front.

"What does it say?" Jess already knew there was no good answer. Nick just held it out to her; _talk._

 **A/N: I know this storyline has been played out so many times, even just within this fandom, but so have most plots on here and it doesn't stop me loving them so I hope you can enjoy it anyway! :)**

 **Would you read a series of platonic Jess/Schmidt one-shots or does that not sound interesting? Let me know so I can or can't write it! (Of course, I wouldn't be able to resist throwing in a bunch of Ness anyway)**


	6. Now We Talk

"This is your fault." Nick stated. Jess pulled back in surprise. She figured this would end in an argument but was he really just gonna dive in?

"What is?"

"You taught him to parent trap and he parent trapped... but with his roommates. He roommate trapped!" Jess smiled a little in relief He wasn't just jumping into the tension as she had thought.

"Jess, how do you feel about me?" Okay, maybe she was wrong.

"You're obeying Schmidt's plan, Nick?"

"Elevator or no elevator, it's probably best this way. I just thought that was as good as any place to start." When she didn't reply, Nick just nodded to the briefcase she had taken from him. "What's in there?" With a sigh, Jess slid down the back wall of the elevator and sat the case on her knees, a slight buffer from Nick's own knees when he joined her on the probably filthy floor. She clicked the latches up and opened the top, half expecting to find something offensively sexual. On top lay a letter which Jess took and read aloud.

" _'Dear Ness,'_ Really? We're like Brangelina now?"

"Better than Jyan..." Nick muttered. She gave him a questioning glare, unsure if he was referring to the name or the coupling, and continued.

" _'First let me say, sorry I had to lock you in an elevator to do this but you're both very stubborn people and a simple "hey you should talk" wouldn't have accomplished anything – I know, because I have given you both that exact advice numerous times throughout the last year, as have our other friends, yet here you are._

 _I've known you both for a long time, Nick especially, but Jess I love you just as much as I do him (sorry Nick), and because of this, I have the right to tell you; you're both idiots. As much as I would like to allow you to wallow in your own idiocy and stay the hell out of it, I can't. And not just because I'm overly attached to my friends, but because quite frankly, it's heartbreaking watching you two; it's been a year, and it still is.'"_ Jess paused and swallowed hard, forcing her tears back without daring lift her hand to her eyes. Considering the BS move he had pulled, she expected a much less genuine, much more douchey letter than this.

"' _Obviously, despite knowing best, I don't have the right to decide the outcome of your relationship, and I wouldn't want to even if I could. That is all up to you guys, but I can at least force you talk about it. I mean, not legally, but I've got plenty on both of you. Put me in jail, and you're both going down with me. SORT THIS OUT -Schmidt Ps. I took your phones and Remy is totally in on this – you're trapped!'_ and then there's a series of kisses and hugs and what appears to be some stick people talking and either hugging or banging in an elevator. _"_ She passed the page to Nick so he could see.

"Oh yeah – this one has glasses." He smiled but quickly turned it to a turtle face as Jess went back to the brief case. She handed Nick a small water bottle and put hers on the floor beside her, followed by similarly sized flasks, not enough for them to lose their senses but it might help them survive Schmidt's insane plan. She then produced a packet of Twizzlers, a ziplock bag full of a few of the cookies she made the day before, and two packets of chips. Some items in the bag had a yellow post-it attached. On the food it read _'Dunno how long this will take you guys – I didn't want to find your corpses in here'_ and on the water ' _Go easy on this – do not pee in the elevator.'_ Nick moved the case between their now crossed legs and took out an old Ipod and passed it to Jess. She found a series songs that had either been a part of their lives, or that she assumed Schmidt believed related to their situation.

Jess curiously took out a fairly large jewelery box and let out a gasp when she opened it. Hard to miss, was a bright green paper band, slightly misshapen from the way Jess had had it folded for the past year. The post-it attached read ' _Dunno what this is because I don't speak Spanish, but I know it means something to you'_ and squished in at the bottom he had added _'Ps. I already put a whole $20 in the jar for finding this in your underwear drawer – it was a necessary douche move.'_ Nick glanced in the box then at Jess for a reaction. It flashed from surprise, to anger (presumably at Schmidt), and then settled into a sad half-smile. He felt the urge to take her hand in his and slide the crumpled piece of paper over it but the box slammed shut and was placed on the floor.

At the bottom of the bag was a few sheets of note paper and four colored pens. When Nick lifted them out, he revealed a large glossy photo lining the bottom. It was a black and white picture from the time they'd babysat Jacob a month before they'd broken up. All three people were fast asleep on their bed, Nick spooning Jess, and the baby grasping at one of the large fingers that lay by Jess' head. In reality, they had just about passed out in exhaustion after finally getting the kid to sleep, but the picture was so peaceful. Nick vaguely remembered Schmidt showing off a hideously close up double-chin picture of Nick from a weird angle, taken during his nap that day, but he'd never showed them this picture. It was beautiful.

This time, Jess wasn't quick enough to pull back her tears and a single bead of pain shot down her cheek before she fiercely flicked her knuckles across her cheekbone to stop it. The moment was broken when Nick noticed something glinting behind the photo and lifted it to find a single condom.

"Really Schmidt?!" He muttered aloud as he held it up. She laughed a little and took a drink of her water.

"Cookie?" She held out the bag to him and he happily accepted.

"Oh my god Jess – this is amazing! Where have I had these before?" he slurred with a mouthful of cookie.

"Remember when we were stuck in our room on the cruise last year and all there was to eat was cheap booze, macadamia nuts, and a seemingly endless supply of cookies? Well I remembered we all loved them at first and that they were pretty much home made so I finally tracked down the recipe!"

This lead to reminiscing about the insane days they spent on that ship, which lead to reminiscing about all kinds of things, and more than an hour later, they were sitting across from each other, knee to knee and cross legged with a bag of Twizzlers balanced between them, both flasks emptied, leaving behind only a slight buzz.

"Wait a minute, what month?" Jess' eyes were wide with curiosity and Nick looked confused.

"I don't know, Jess. July I think. Why?" Jess clapped her hands together excitedly and eventually dropped them to his knees.

"July 1994, Daytona Beach - I was there!" Nick's face matched hers.

"Do you think we..." Nick racked his brain trying to remember a quirky dark-haired preteen in Florida.

"Actually-" Jess then gasped loudly, her eyes an unbelievable size.

"What, Jess?"

"I just..." she stared intently into his eyes, trying to remember the exact shade of brown from over 20 years ago. "My first real kiss was in Daytona. There was this boy I met-"

"At the fairground." Nick finished. Jess' eyes couldn't get bigger, but her eye brows could still get higher.

"He bought me ice cream and we walked on the beach, but we had this ridiculous idea-"

"That you wouldn't tell him your name and he wouldn't tell you his because you would have to leave again..." They were each leaning forward further and further until they almost had to go cross eyed to see each other. Their eyes darted from each others and to their lips and back again.

"Jess, I have to let you know something about that boy" his voice was a whisper.

"He was..." Jess already knew.

"He was Alister Robertson" Jess' lips had been so close to his when his words snapped her out of it. She pulled back like a passenger in a car that had just come to an abrupt stop.

"Um, what?"

"Remember, I said I went with my friend's family? Well that was Marty Robertson, and his brother, Alister, couldn't stop talking about 'mystery girl' for weeks." He couldn't help but crack up laughing. She hit him hard on the arm before joining him in a fit of laughter. The laughter died down and they were left with a slightly awkward silence and a little too much eye contact.

"So, what now?" Jess' voice was quiet and nervous.

"Now, we talk."


	7. Okay

**I'm quickly losing motivation here – especially after binge watching 5 seasons of Parks and Recreation in a week. Nick and jess are drifting from my mind. Help me fellow writers!**

 **I try my best to keep to my American side in keeping with the show, but I'm going to start writing translations at the bottom of each chapter when necessary. I'm kind of a cultural trail mix, so if I use a term you don't understand, let me know.**

" _So, what now?" Jess' voice was quiet and nervous._

" _Now, we talk."_

"Okay." Jess really just wanted to keep eating Twizzlers and laughing but she was sick of those moments being so fleeting, and she knew Nick was right. "So... okay, how about this? You know how everyone writes those annoying 'This past year has changed so much' statuses on Facebook at New Year's? Let's do that."

"Post an annoying Facebook status?"

"No, I mean look at the past year. What has changed? What has stayed the same?"

"Everything" Nick replied easily with a turtle face.

"Everything has changed or everything has stayed the same?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"What?"

"Nick, be serious!"

"I am Jess! Everything has changed and nothing has changed! You're asking impossible questions!" He stood up, quickly followed by Jess.

"Well what do you want me to ask?!"

"Do you have feelings for me?" Nick asked plainly. Jess raised her eyebrows in surprise and maybe confusion.

"You want me to ask that?"

"No, Jess, do _you_ have feelings for _me_?" His voice was soft and quiet now, but seemed to show no vulnerability.

"Well yeah. But I mean, there's more to this than that. I loved you when we broke up too, and that didn't stop us." Nick just about choked on the Twizzler he thought had already gone down.

"You loved me _too?_ You mean... you love me _now_?" She just furrowed her brow.

"Well yeah. I mean that isn't news to you Nick. I even said so during the break up; so did you actually."

"Yes but that was a year ago! I didn't think you would still... I mean I'd have thought that would've changed!" Jess' eyes dropped to her shoes and she shuffled back a little.

"Oh." Her voice was so quiet and fragile and matched her posture. "That's what changed over the past year." She felt like an idiot. It had been a whole year, Of course he didn't feel the same way anymore. She felt even more stupid for caring. It's not normal to care if your ex from a year ago still loves you. Nick sighed and his voice became soft.

"Jess, that hasn't changed at all. Of course I still... I mean how could I not? I don't know if that will ever change. I just thought you'd moved on" Her eyes, glazed with tears, looked up at him from under long, dark lashes.

"Is that what you want, Nick? To move on?" He tried to reply but wasn't sure that any sound came out so he shook his head instead and took a step forward.

"Me either" She reached her hand out slightly. It was such a small movement but an enormous gesture. His palm found hers and she squeezed her fingers around his.

"Okay."

"Okay." They stood like that in silence for a moment, neither sure of what this meant, but neither wanting to question it any further.

The faint sound of Schmidt yelling could be heard from above them and the elevator jolted to life. They reluctantly dropped their hands, partly to stop from allowing Schmidt the satisfaction, but mostly because neither of them knew how to explain it.

When the doors opened, the pair were met by Schmidt and Remy arguing in the hall.

"Look Schmidt, Mrs Johanson is ancient! She can't climb the stairs and then I'll have to explain this crap to the health and safety folks when they come snooping around to see what's up with the elevator!"

"Should have thought of that before agreeing to this! I got your daughter a _month_ long internship at my place of work. She thought marketing was the synonymous with advertising Remy!"

"Wait, you mean it's not-"

"Besides, Mrs Johanson isn't going out at this time of night! You can at least handle a couple more hours!" Jess decided to interject here.

"Of what Schmidt, kidnapping us in an elevator? Let it go."

"Hi Jess. Nick." Remy added with a nod.

"Hey Remy. Nice shirt." Jess gave him a genuine smile which made Nick cringe. Why must she encourage him?!

The smell of apple cinnamon tea drifted from their open apartment and reminded Jess that despite their little bag of snacks, she was starved! It was after ten and she hadn't had a meal since lunch.

"You know what? Call the pizza place and tell them to reheat or remake our pizzas. I'm actually really hungry." Nick put out a hand to stop her from returning to the elevator.

"I got it Jess... and I think I'll take the stairs." He laughed a little and when she smiled back, something inside of him started doing somersaults. He had no idea what was happening, or if they had really come to any conclusions, but he smiled all the way down the stairs.

They ate their pizza over two or three episodes of 'The Office' on Netflix, laughing and talking over top as usual, and one by one, disappeared to their respective rooms. Only maybe an hour after he had gone to bed, Jess heard a door open somewhere in the loft, soon followed by her own, and didn't need to open her eyes to know who was entering. She pulled the covers back and he wordlessly crawled into bed in behind her.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed a kiss into her hair. She took hold of the hand that lay loosely over her and pulled it into her chest. "Good night Nick."

"G'night." Silence... "I miss you Jess." She said nothing but pressed her lips to his knuckles holding back the lump in her throat, and allowed sleep to take her over as she lay in his arms, feeling secure, feeling hopeful.

 **Translation: Twizzlers; A type of sweet/candy that's long, red, and tastes like plastic but is somehow still good and addictive – commonly eaten during movies. Kinda like liquorice but not really. Rival to the Red Vine.**

 **A/N: I'm not really happy with this chapter but I can't figure out why so here we go anyway.**


End file.
